


Winnie McQueen and the Ghosts of Hogwarts History

by HoneyBSting



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Diagon Alley, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Witchcraft, Wizards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-30 03:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16757092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoneyBSting/pseuds/HoneyBSting
Summary: Winnie is your average school-age witch. She goes to her classes like a normal witch, has friends like a normal witch, and even looks for trouble like a normal witch. Follow Winnie and her coven as they look for secrets in the dark past of Hogwarts and learn more about the hidden history of the castle and it's residents. And maybe, Winnie and her friends will have secrets they keep hidden as well.





	Winnie McQueen and the Ghosts of Hogwarts History

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in 2012, so this is before the Cursed Child. This will also have enough exposition and explaining for people who have never read the Harry Potter series, so no worries if you're new! I'm writing this for fun and it's not meant to be taken super serious, please forgive any mistakes that may part from canon. That being said, constructive criticism very welcome!

One of the advantages of coming from a witch and wizarding family and living in Scotland was that traveling to Hogwarts becomes insanely easy. Another advantage was the fact that it was expected that Winnie would eventually present as magical and once it was it was very much embraced. Winnie was currently in the line outside of Ollivander's  to get her training wand replaced. The supplies list for school had just been sent out and of course Winnie's aunt, Sybille, had insisted that they go shopping for Winnie's materials that weekend. The same weekend that everyone else was searching for robes, wands, cauldrons, and everything in between.

 

The streets were bustling students from the very tall disheveled seven years to the teeniest tiniest first years who were being escorted by older siblings and parents. The smell of butter beer wafted down the street as local students gathered at The Leaky Cauldron for a sip of brew and the laughter and company of close friends. They'd gather up to meet and talk about their summers before the school year began. Luckily it was early, but by the time the sun went down the narrow streets would begin to fill with kids who had drank more than their fill and were stumbling along the cobblestone with the support of their equally as drunk friends.

 

The line was moving at a medium pace, much faster than the line that was in Flourish and Blotts. Winnie and Sybille were waiting in line for half an hour before they even got in the door. Once they were in, there were students and parents running left and right like chickens with their heads cut off. After about forty five minutes of Sybille and Winnie splitting up they were able to gather up the books that Winnie would need, which were luckily all in stalk, they had to wait at the checkout counter for an additional fifteen minutes to get one of the many apprentices to check them out. By the time one of the girls had gotten to the counter Sybille dropped a handful of sickles on the surface and left before the girl could give her the change.  They were able to push their way out of the store and finally back into the crowded streets of Diagon Alley.

 

Winnie sighed as she bounced on her feet. She and Sybille were fairly close to the door and they could hear the shuffling of Ollivander across the store as he raced from one end to the other looking for the perfect wand for whichever customer he was currently entertaining.

 

"I'm sure it would have been worse if we waited," Sybille said, trying to comfort her niece.

 

"Maybe, but we also came on a Saturday afternoon," Winnie responded quickly, making sure that Sybille knew her mistake. Sybille sighed.

 

"Maybe," She agreed.

 

A boy exitted Ollivander's waving his brand new wand wildly before his father took it out of his hand and placed it back into its box. The line lurched forward. Winnie looked up at her aunt who was slouching from the weight of the bags she was carrying. Winnie took one out of her hands an set it down in between her feet.

 

"We aren't going anywhere you can set those down,"

 

Sybille practically dropped the bags with Winnie's persuasion.

 

"You're probably right. When did you get so smart?" She said as the ruffled Winnie's curly red hair. Winnie smiled at Sybille and then slouched against the side of the building. Another boy walked out of the store with an embarrassed look on his face and a older boy, probably his brother, trailed behind in a fit of laughter.

 

"Eight inches!" He guffawed, "Eight bloody inches!" He cackled. An older woman, probably their grandmother, stepped out from behind him and smacked him right in the back of the head.

 

"Walter don't make fun of your brother! And that's bloody rich coming from you, ten inch wonder!" Walter's face turned bright red and he hurried off after his brother. Winnie hid her face behind her hand to keep from laughing out-loud and when she turned to look at Sybille she had pulled her t-shirt up to cover her mouth, but her eyes were scrunched up in silent laughter. When the granny had walked far enough away they both burst out laughing.

 

"I guess-" Sybille stopped to giggle some more, "I guess it runs in the family?" She finishes with a high note in her voice before she and Winnie went back to cackling like the witches they were. When they finally got themselves together they were the first people in line and the string of people behind them were lurching forward.

 

"Are you ready to get your first real wand?" Sybille asked Winnie. Winnie nodded before Sybille even finished her statement.

 

"Definitely. I'm tired of that crappy ol' wand-"

 

"Language"

 

"Stupid ol' wand" Winnie corrected herself. "I want a wand that will let me exercise my magic to it's full potential! And I'm ready to learn some new spells, I'm tired of Aberto and Lumos. I feel like I've already done them a million times!" Winnie says wishfully.

 

"Well, you realize that some of your classmates will be less advanced than you, so you may not learn any new spells until after holiday break," Sybille responds.

 

"At least I'll have potions. Oh! and transfiguration!" Winnie rebuttles. When Winnie was much younger, perhaps three or four, she was known for her ability to change surroundings with little thought. It was one of the first times she proved her magic ability and it took months of training from Winnie's mum to prevent her daughter from turning her animal crackers into actual little animals.

 

A girl walked out of Ollivander's shop holding her wand box very delicately in her hands, as if one wrong move and it would crumble and slip through her fingers like sand. Both of her parents followed behind her, a short asian woman and a tall, lanky man, probably from somewhere in the U.K. The girl was probably about Winnie's age and looked very much like her mother, with a rather flat nose and short, pin straight black hair.

 

"Alright, go ahead" Sybille said as she picked up the bags that they had set on the ground. Winnie looked away from the girl and turned into the shop. Mr. Ollivander's white hair was awry and his suit collar was crooked and he was very clearly out of breath. Sybille entered the store and dropped their bags onto the old wooden floor.

 

"Hello Mr. Ollivander!" She greeted him. Mr. Ollivander stepped out from behind the counter and greeted Sybille with a big embrace.

 

"Sybille, my dear! It is so good seeing you again! How's work on the farm?" Ollivander greets Sybille warmly, discreetly checking over her to make sure she's free from bumps and bruises.

 

"It's good, business it booming right now, as I'm sure you'd know," Sybille answers. She steps away from Ollivander to step behind Winnie.

 

"But as good as it is to see you, I'm actually here for my niece," She smiles as she pushes Winnie forward to approach Mr. Ollivander. Ollivander's smile falters a bit.

 

"You never come just because anymore," He says to Sybille and he then turns to Winnie, "You must be Sybille II! Pleasure to meet you!" He sticks out his rough, old hands to Winnie. Winnie takes it in stride and grips his hand firmly, giving it a good shake.

 

"Winnie Mcqueen! Pleasure to meet you too!" She grins. Mr Ollivander smiles right back.

 

"You've got a good grip on you! I can see the gleam in your eyes," He turns away and marches across the store, "Let's try this one, " He says as he pulls out a sleek box from one of the top shelves.

 

"It's a ten and a half inch Acacia wood with a dragon heartstring, give that a try why don't ya?" He says as she hands the wand to Winnie. With a flick of her wrist and a swish of her wand, a strong gust of wind whips through the room, scattering papers and receipts across the store. Winnie looks from the wand to Ollivander but he's still standing there grinning like a mad man. Winnie can hear Sybille behind her laughing.

 

"So maybe not Acacia?" He says as he gently takes the wand from Winnies hand and puts it back in its box. "I do think we're onto something with the dragon heartstrings though!" he says as he marches back to the box's original shelf. He puts it back where it belongs and swirls around, looking for a specific find.

 

"An eight inch dogwood maybe?" He returns to Winnie with a smaller box and allows her to take the small wand from it's protective wrapping. She waits for Ollivander to step back before she gives it a swish and a swirl and when she closes her eyes to brace for some other burst of magic, nothing happens. Winnie opens her eyes to look at Ollivander and then back to the wand. Nothing happened.

 

"Huh, okay, maybe a longer wand?" He says as Winnie sets the wand back in its place when Ollivander presents the box to her. He rushes through the store to put the wand back and grabs a ladder to grab the next one to test.

 

"I think this one is perfect for you! If this one isn't right I'll quit my job right now!" He shouts from the top of his ladder.

 

"You're not going to quit your job" Sybille responds.

 

"A figure of speech m'dear!" He retorts as he climbs down from the ladder with a box in hand.

 

"This one's it! I'm sure of that!" He says, and he once more allows Winnie to take the wand from the box. She looks up at him. "I'll tell ya what it is once you've tested it." Mr. Ollivander says. She pulls the wand from its place and examines it. It's much longer than the previous two, and much, much darker. The bottom end, the handle is carved intricately, and has an almost snake like pattern. With a glance at the very end of the wand she sees it has a gem embedded in it that looks not unlike and eye. Then, with a whirl and a swoosh, a sparkle of pretty blue light comes crackling out of the wand, weaving its way around in the air, before gently fizzling out. Winnie smiles and looks at Mr. Ollivander.

 

"I think that's the one!" He says gleefully. He then steps behind the counter once more and fills out a receipt for Sybille. "It's and ebony wood, fifteen and a half inch, dragon heartstring core," He says and he looks to Winnie, "I think it suits you perfectly well," He then scribbles down the price of the wand. When Sybille approaches him to see the receipt, he snatches it away from her field of view.

 

"It's on the house if you come and visit me more," Mr. Ollivander gibs.

 

"Or, I'll pay however many galleons it is, and I'll come help you next week," Sybille responds as she pulls her bag of coins from her pocket and begins to pull out her money.

 

"Sybille my dear you have no idea how much I've missed you!" He chirps and he gives her hug and a gentle kiss on the cheek. He hands her the receipt and takes the money Sybille set out for him. He then steps out from behind the counter as Sybille stuffs the box into one of the bags and puts the receipt in her pocket with her coin purse.

 

"It's been very wonderful meeting you, Sybille Winnie" He says, and sticks out a hand to say goodbye to Winnie. Winnie once more grips his hand tightly to give it a good shake.

 

"If you're gonna call me Sybille, Sybille Winnona will do," She responds, "It's been very nice meeting you, thank you so much for the wand,"

 

"It was my pleasure, take care m'dears!" He says goodbye as the girls leave his store. Sybille leads the way back out onto the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley and begins to journey towards their next destination.

 

"Where are we going?" Winnie asks her aunt.

 

"The Magical Menagerie"

 

"I thought that I was just going to use Tubby?" Winnie said as she trotted behind Sybille, trying to keep up with her quick pacing. Tubby was Sybilles fat tabby cat. He was awfully slow at delivering messages, but he was definitely reliable. If one were to send a letter through him, they knew that it would arrive at its destination within the week.

 

"I have a little extra money, like I said, business on the farm is booming right now. Plus, I think you can handle the responsibility of having your own familiar," Sybille responds. She tucks one some of their bags up under her arm before it slipped down further. They ducked and dogded their way through Diagon Alley, which was still very crowded with students searching for materials.

 

They reached the corner of the street where Magical Menagerie was located. It was a tall windowed store that was crammed into a wonky, tilting building like the rest of the storefronts down the lane. The store stood out as particularly quiet as most magical families just use the same familiar. Winnie opened the door for Sybille and then followed behind her into the store. The jingle of the bell sounded above the door when Winnie closed it behind her, although it was difficult to hear over the sounds of animals whining and cooing throughout the store. The store was top to bottom, wall to wall, covered in cages of animals for first years to buy. The majority of the people in the store seemed to be muggleborns, who were escorted around by upperclassmen who volunteered to help the freshmen get their supplies together. Winnie took a look around at some of the animals around the store.

 

Winnie had an affinity for cats. She had always found toads to be too slippery and gross, and owls to be too quiet and judgemental. Something about the way those bird looked just did not sit right with Winnie. So, skipping  over the rounded cages that had stoic barn owls stooping on perches, and the several tanks that were set up in the store, crowded with toads from the fat and worty to the slippy and green, Winnie looked to the cages that contained trained kitties.

 

Winnie stepped around the muggle borns, and slipped around the few cats that were already out of their cages and were proudly showing off their skills. She approached some of the cages to look at the tags.

 

"GENDER: F AGE: 2 TYPE: Tuxedo NAME: Princess"

 

Winnie looked at the cat in the cage to examine Princess. The cat had her leg sticking straight up in the air and was busying herself with taking a bath. Princess stopped her licking to look at Winnie and then went straight back to the spot on her leg that she had stopped at. Winnie looked at another cage.

 

The next one was a few cages down, and the lowest to the ground. A teeny tiny little cat was hunched over in the corner of the cage, looking at Winnie as if she were a viscous predator ready to eat it. Winnie peeked at the tag.

 

"GENDER: M AGE: 8 months TYPE: Siamese NAME: Buddy"

 

Well, they sure did get creative with these names. Winnie must have come to close too the cage because Buddy hissed loudly when Winnie set the tag down, jostling the door of the cage a little bit. Winnie stood up and backed away from the cages. She looked to Sybille for help but her aunt was on the other side of the store busying herself with a toad that she must have grabbed from the tank. She was most likely holding it wrong as it was emitting a high screeching sound and was flailing around. Gross. Winnie turned back to the cats to continue on her mission to find her familiar.

 

She moved to the opposite end of the cage, closer to the back of the store, and hoped that maybe down there would be a cat who's personality would match hers a bit more. She found a long cat, with a muddy brown and black stripe pattern that ran down it's back. It had a cougar like face and bright green eyes. If Winnie didn't know any better she'd say it was smiling at her. She reached for the tag.

 

"GENDER: M AGE: 1 TYPE: Oriental Longhair NAME: Benjamin"

 

When Winnie set her hand on the tag Benjamin pushed his paw through the cage and set it gently on Winnie's knuckles. Now we're talking.

 

"Aunty Sybille!" Winnie calls to her aunt who had gotten her hands on another toad. She set the toad back down and approached the cage that Winnie was situated at.

 

"Found one?" She said as she squatted down next to Winnie. She took that tag and flipped it over. With a soft exhale she quickly stands back up.

 

"I'll be right back," Sybille says as she leaves to corner one of the shopkeepers. Meanwhile, Winnie sticks her fingers into the cage for Benjamin to sniff. He stands up, stretching his back as much as he can in the confines of his home, and sniffs at Winnie's index finger before he rubs his face on it. Winnie can hear a quiet purr coming out of him. He then begins to paw at the latch of the crate. Winnie turns the lock on the cage to see the key hole and then whispers, "Sorry buddy, I don't have my wand with me right now".

 

Winnie can see Sybille hunching over the shopkeeper with her many bags in tow. The shopkeeper is crouching below Sybille and from what Winnie can see he's also shaking his head no. Sybille grabs him by the lapelles and Winnie decides it's time to focus more attention on Benjamin.

 

Benjamin has pressed the edge of his long, nosy face against the front of the enclosure, his whiskers and furs pushing through. Winnie scratches what she can to give him a little attention. Winnie hears steps behind her but when she turns to find her aunt, She is greeted by a tall, dark skinned girl with straight hair and an aquiline nose, who's peering down at Winnie with a smile.

 

"Sorry, I'm just trying to the look at the cat above yours," She says. Winnie shuffles to the side to allow the girl for some more room to stand. The girl gets down on her knees and looks at the tags above Benjamin's cage. Winnie looks up to see the cat that the girl is examining. It's a scruffy looking tabby with a tummy and big paws. It's laying flat across the bottom of the cage and its eyes are closed for a mid-afternoon nap. The girl sets the tag down and Winnie can see his name, "Piglet". Winnie snorts in laughter.

 

"I think he's cute," the girl says in response. She sticks out a hand for Winnie to shake, which Winnie accepts gladly, "I'm Ursella, are you a first year too?" She says.

 

"Yeah, I'm Winnie," She responds. "I have to agree, he is pretty cute," Winnie says as she motions towards Piglet.

 

"Plus he's cheap," Ursella retorts. Ursella looks at Benjamin. "Wow, that is one pretty cat," Ursella looks at the cat's tag and corrects herself, "Wow that is one pretty expensive cat," Winnie nods.

 

"My aunt is bullying the shopkeeper into a lower price," Winnie agrees.

 

Ursella sits down, "I wish I had someone here to do that for me," She continues, "My parents work at Sugarplum Sweets Shop so I have to do my shopping alone".

 

"My aunt and I were going to stop there before we went home," Winnie responds.

 

"Most people do," Ursella says, then her face lights up, "I can get you some free chocolate frogs if you want," She offers.

 

"Please?" Winnie responds. Winnie looks over at Sybille who has gotten the shopkeeper to fill out their receipt with Sybille's agreed price. Ursella nods and stands up. She offers a hand to Winnie to help her up. Ursella approaches the counter and pulls some coins from her pocket. Winnie approaches on the other side of her, in between Ursella and Sybille.

 

"For Piglet," she says to the shopkeeper. He takes the money from Ursella and the money Sybille set out for him and grabs two cages for the both of them. He then leaves from behind the table and walked over to the cages pushing both cats into their cages with little resistance. The shopkeeper hands Ursella Piglet, and Sybille Benjamin. Sybille pulls out her wand and flicks her wand and says an apparition spell to send Winnie's new familiar to the Mcqueen's residence. Sybille turns to Winnie and Ursella.

 

"I think I'll just carry him home," Ursella says.

 

"This is Ursella, she's a first year too," Winnie explains to Sybille.

 

"Winnie said that you were going to Sugarplum Sweets," Ursella says " My parents work there so  I can get you some free desserts," She says.

 

"Oh you don't have to do that sweetie," Sybille responds, "I'm Winnie's aunt, Sybille," She said. She didn't go to shake Ursella's hands as they were to busy carrying Piglet, who had gone back to napping despite being relocated.

 

"Nice to meet you, and it's okay, a couple of chocolate frogs won't do any harm," Ursella answers. "Come on Winnie," Ursella marches on, with her new friend in tow, Sybille not too far behind despite the weight of their purchases.

 

And so they march, from one end of Diagon Alley to the other. Ursella's sheer confidence clearing the way for her and Winnie. That and the fact that she was carrying a giant cage with a fat lazy cat in it. Winnie and Sybille followed along, their shoes clicking on the cobblestone ground as they made their way past storefront after storefront. Eventually they were close enough to smell the pastries and sweets that filled Ursella's parents' store. Ursella kicked the door open and marched past the lines of people waiting to place their order and recieve their food. She marched through the back counter and into the kitchens. Winnie assumed that she was also heading upstairs to put away Piglet, but Ursella came back not soon after with boxes of handmade, individually charmed chocolate frogs. She handed a box to Sybille and a box the Winnie and escorted them towards the dining area.

 

"Sit, sit!" she said as the ushered the girls to the table.

 

"Thank you, Ursella. This was very nice of you," Sybille thanks her. Winnie on the other hand has already opened the delicate box and stuffed one in her mouth before it could escape. Winnie covers her mouth as she chews and chokes out a "Thank you," before shoving another one of the riggling frogs in her mouth. Ursella smiles.

 

"It was really nice meeting you Winnie. and you Ms. Sybille." Ursella says. Winnie nods as she chews the last frog.

 

"It was nice meeting you too! I guess I'll see you at school?" Winnie says.

 

"Yeah! I guess I will. Do you know what house you might get into?" Ursella asks. If Ursella and Winnie were in different houses the only way they could meet would be if they were in a doubles class.

 

"I don't know, my best guess is Slytherin," Winnie says. Sybille nods her head in agreement. Almost all the Mcqueens were Slytherin, and if not, they were Ravenclaws. Ursella visibly winces.

 

"Most of my family has gotten into Gryffindor, they're expecting me to be the same," Ursella says.

 

"But what do you think?" Winnie asks.

 

"In my opinion? It's anyone's game," Ursella answers. She sighs before saying, "Although, you know Gryffindor's, they won't be happy if I'm in Slytherin," She concludes. Winnie stands up and tosses the box into a nearby bin before sitting back down a the table.

 

"Well what about classes? What are you most excited for?" Winnie questions.

 

"Charms, probably. Oh and Potions," Ursella replies. "And you?"

 

"Potions and transfiguration," Winnie responds. Sybille once again motions her agreement.

 

"We should probably get going," Sybille says, "If we stay much longer we'll start running into drunk wizards and you know I don't enjoy dealing with The Leaky Cauldron crowd," Sybille says to Winnie.

 

"I'll see you soon, Ursella," Winnie says.

 

"Yeah I'll see you soon too," Ursella says before she shouts, "Oh! do you need to use our fireplace?" She asks Sybille.

 

"Actually, yes that would be most helpful," Sybille says. Ursella motions for them to follow her back to the kitchen where one of the many roaring fireplaces is at rest.

 

"Thank you so much for your help Ursella," Sybille says as she hands some Floo Powder to Winnie from a packet she had been keeping in her pocket. Winnie steps carefully into the fireplace careful of the ash covering the brick stones, and careful not to drag her feet and kick up any more ash onto her boots. Then with a shout of "Mcqueen's Residence!" and a toss of Floo Powder, Winnie closed her eyes and shot through the Floo network. Once her feet hit the ground, Winnie quickly stepped out of the fireplace before she was trampled by her aunt. Before her was her families home as she had left it, save for Benjamin on the coffee table. Sybille appeared in a cloud of dust from the fireplace setting their luggage down on the ground.

 

"Alright you two," Winnie heard her mother call from the kitchen. "Go clean up, it's almost time for dinner," Winnie's mother finished and she and Sybille headed to go clean themselves off from the dusty ash that had been relocated from the Floo network to their clothes.


End file.
